What is it about?

Potassium permanganate has been reported to be an effective treatment for certain types of wounds. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of potassium permanganate in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. A single-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus that presented with a foot ulcer persisting for >3 months. The control group (n=10) was treated with the current standard treatment, which comprises of measures for reducing pressure in the ulcerated area, daily cleansing of the ulcer with potable water and antiseptic wash solution, and the application of a disinfectant solution on the entire surface area of the ulcer; while the intervention group (n=15) received the standard treatment plus 5% topical potassium permanganate solution applied once a day for 21 days. In the intervention group, 1 patient did not tolerate the treatment and was eliminated from the study on the first day. The remaining patients tolerated the interventions well. At the end of the treatment period, ulcers in the control group had decreased by 38% whereas those in the intervention group decreased by 73% (P<0.009). The degree of decrease was also investigated; the ulcer size was ≥50% decreased in 40% of patients in the control group and in 86% of patients in the intervention group (P=0.02). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that topical potassium permanganate is well tolerated and significantly accelerates the healing process of diabetic foot ulcers.

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Why is it important?

The present study demonstrated that 5% potassium permanganate solution as a complementary treatment for diabetic foot ulcers is well tolerated and viable, effectively accelerating the healing process of diabetic foot ulcers of Wagner stages I and II. These data support the use of 5% potassium permanganate as a topical alternative to conventional antibiotics and antiseptic agents.

Perspectives

Future studies should include a larger number of patients with a longer follow-up period to further investigate the treatment response of diabetic foot ulcers.

Dr. José Guzman-Esquivel
Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social

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This page is a summary of: Topical 5% potassium permanganate solution accelerates the healing process in chronic diabetic foot ulcers, Biomedical Reports, January 2018, Spandidos Publications,
DOI: 10.3892/br.2018.1038.
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